insideKENT Magazine Issue 41 - August 2015 | Page 100

BABIES+KIDS
babies and kids cont.

6-9 months
• Everything is a lot more stable now, and your baby should be able to sit
for longer periods of time without toppling over. They will even be able to
get themselves into a sitting position from lying down on their backs or
stomachs
• When tracking objects, your baby’s entire head should be able to move
now, not just the eyes
• They will have a lot more control over their movement, so rolling will be
easier, and they may even begin to pull themselves up into a standing
position using the furniture (or anything else that comes to hand)
• Crawling – yes, baby is now on the move!
• By this age, your baby should be able to pick up smaller objects using
fingers rather than their whole hand (so watch out – they will definitely
want to put these things in their mouths!)
• Toy throwing becomes a great new game, as does turning the pages of
a board book
• At between six and nine months, you baby should be able to recognise
their own name, and respond to it, as well as beginning to participate in
‘conversations’. They should even be able to follow very simple commands
• They will certainly know your voice by now, and will react different to
unknown voices
• Baby will be pointing things of interest out to you and others around them
• Mimicking facial expressions will keep everyone entertained for hours,
and it is during this stage that it happens
• Now they will be able to hold their own bottle, and drink from it

12-18 months
• At 12 to 18 months, your baby should be walking independently, and
squatting to pick things up as they go
• Stacking toys are useful now, as their motor skills are progressing, and
they should be able to stack at least two objects
• They will begin taking an interest in the act of getting dressed, and will
try to help (with varying degrees of success)
• The body is an endless source of fascination, and by this stage your child
should be able to identify two or three different parts
• Speech is much better now – up to 20 words (mostly nouns) will be used,
along with hand gestures for communication
• Even if the words ‘yes’ and ‘no’ aren’t quite there yet, nodding and shaking
the head is

18-24 months
• Playing with other children
becomes the norm now
• This is the ideal time to
take your child to the
playground, as climbing,
jumping, and other types
of moving activities –
including swings – are
perfect for their exercise
• Toys don’t immediately
go into the mouth
anymore
• If you are keen to read to
your child, you may have
started bedtime stories
already, but it is between
the ages of 18 and 24
months that the little ones
will really begin to enjoy –
if not entirely understand
– the books
• Catching and throwing a
ball should be possible
• And when Mum and Dad
leave the room – or even
go out for the night – the
child will notice, but not
be overly upset if they are
with familiar people

9-12 months
• Moving is definitely on the agenda;
not only will your baby be pulling
themselves up more, but they will
be cruising too. They may even start
to take their first tentative steps
• Their balance is much better all
round, so throwing toys just became
even more fun
• Music is an important part of a
baby’s life at this age, and they will
begin to clap along with it, or even
do a little dance (usually whilst sitting
and bopping up and down)
• If there is something interesting to
see, your little one will want to see it, and they will crane their necks to
get a better view
• Listen carefully; those babbling sounds will become words, most usually
‘dada’ and ‘mumma’, but it could be anything meaningful. And even when
they are still babbling, there will be a rhythm to it, so it sounds like speech
• Your child should have an understanding of around 50 words, and follow
simple instructions
• By now, he or she should be feeding themselves finger food, and trying
all sorts of different flavours and textures. They may even be able to start
feeding themselves with a spoon.
• They might be able to use an open cup rather than a bottle or beaker

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